Nats Lose One, Pick Up One in Rule 5 Draft

After going hog-wild last year with two pickups in the AAA phase – Jacob Wilson and Kaleb Fleck – the Nats slowed things down and picked up just one player: OF Chuck Taylor from the Seattle Mariners.

Conversely, the Nats kept pace with their attrition from a year ago and bid adieu (adios?) to Alejandro Flores, who was picked by the Astros. Flores was originally an IFA in the Atlanta system from 2013-15 but spent 2016 and 2017 playing in the Mexican Leagues (summer and winter). He returned to the U.S. in 2018 hang a .216/.309/.390 line in 66 games with the Hagerstown Suns

Put down your beverage: Taylor was originally drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks (4th Rd., 2012). He’s spent the last three seasons in AA: 2016 with Mobile in the Southern League, and the past two summers with Arkansas in the Texas League.

Taylor was acquired by Seattle in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft for most likely the same reason as Washington has: upper minors inventory, as noted in this profile from Lookout Landing. He’ll probably spend 2019 in either Harrisburg or Fresno, depending on how chips fall between free agents and the shakeout from spring training.

7 Commments

Taylor looks like a bit of an Alec Keller comp, a corner OF who hits for good average but no power. Taylor is very good at drawing walks, though. Here is Longenhagen’s take on Taylor from the Mariner prospect preview last February:

Chuck Taylor, OF – A former minor-league Rule 5 selection, Taylor has interesting career-long peripherals in a 17% career strikeout rate and 11% career walk rate. He also has above-average speed. Taylor’s hands work better as a left-handed hitter, but his weight transfer isn’t well timed from that side; as a right-handed hitter, his issues are the inverse of that. If that gets ironed out, he could be an extra outfielder.